Mage BF2-BF3 (Battlefield 2-3) Camping / Camper Guide
by Chaos449 Mage BF2- BF3 Camper’s/ Camping guide What is a BF2, BF3 camper? BF is an acronym for the mini game Battlefield, and the number following it determines which battlefield you are in. There are currently 5 different battlefields as of the 1/30/13 update, with the level brackets being: Battlefield 1 – Level 5-11 Battlefield 2 – Level 12-18 Battlefield 3 – Level 19-26 Battlefield 4 – Level 27-34 Battlefield 5 – 35+ Battlefield occurs every 2 hours, and will select any players that apply, regardless of class or level. The limit of players that are taken per each battlefield is 12 (from each faction). This guide however will focus on a certain aspect of Battlefield – A mage BF2 or BF3 Camper. A Camper is a player that generally stays at the max level of a certain Battlefield bracket, and does not level, forever staying at that level in order to remain in the level requirement. (note – There are campers that do not reach max level for camping for various reasons, one such example would be: Staying at level 24 for BF3 in order to remain in DB2). This guide will however ASSUME that you are a max level for your battlefield bracket. Introduction Hello guys I am a BF3, and former BF2 camper, of which I camped for half a year. I realize that making a camper is not always simple, and I made this guide in hopes of sharing my experiences, and help make camping more simple for you.. In this guide, I will include: *Stat Distribution *Skills summary *Skill points distribution recommendations *Equipment recommendations *Estimated cost factor *Doublecasting *Tips This guide of course, is heavily opinionated. Meaning that much of the recommendations are purely what I believe is best, it does not necessarily mean it works for everyone. (However, I will back up all of my recommendations). If you ever have any reason to believe that the information is provide is faulty, inaccurate, or simply have a better suggestion to my idea of an “ideal” camper, feel free to send me a message, post on my wall, or message me in game. Don’t be shy, I fully acknowledge my guide is not perfect! About me: Wiki account - User:Chaos449 In-Game name - Chaos449 Server: Turtlez Faction: Siras Profession: BF3 Camper Skill Distribution In my time as a camper, I have seen many different stay point distribution, and I have experimented with several myself. The general recommended stat distribution is 18 Intelligence, and 18 wisdom. However, I find replacing some wisdom with con can actually produce good results. * !!! In no stat skill point distribution ever, should a mage NOT have 18 int !!! *Going below 13 Wisdom is highly not recommended, as going any lower would mean the mage will no longer be able to cast all his/her spells when needed, hindering a mage’s potential. *Con and Wisdom determine how much hp and mp you gain per level (randomized range). For example 10con would mean an increase of 4-6hp per level, whereas 12 con would mean 6-8. (Not actual statistics) This of course could mean that you could give a mage 16 con and 16 wis and simply use a stat potion to increase your int once you finish leveling. NOTE: It is rumored that using a stat potion will reduce your total hp. (If anyone can prove or disprove this, please let me know!) *Note – it is of course, possible to allocate skill points that are between 2 different stat distribution set I provided below, such as 17 Wisdom, 9 Con. I just provided 3 for simplicity’s sake. ________________________________________________________________________ Stat Distribution set #1: Nuker Strength – 9 Intelligence – 18 Dexterity – 9 Constitution – 8 Wisdom – 18 Pros: High mana – Allows player to spam skills, and be able to doublecast efficiently Cons: Low health – lacks ability to survive attacks, and takes away potential of a 1v1 fight ________________________________________________________________________ Stat Distribution set #2: Hybrid Strength – 9 Intelligence – 18 Dexterity – 9 Constitution – 10 Wisdom – 16 Pros: Still provides relatively high mana, and also gives the player some survivability against attacks Cons: Player will have slightly more difficulty maintaining mana ________________________________________________________________________ Skill Distribution set #3: PvP / Duelist Strength – 9 Intelligence – 18 Dexterity – 9 Constitution – 13 Wisdom – 13 Pros: This skill setup provides a mage with unusually high survivability, making them ideal for Dueling, and 1v1 PvP. Cons: This setup unfortunately gives the mage a rather small mana pool, which forces the player to use their skills more efficiently, or you’ll have no mana for when you need it. Skill summary and opinions * I will only provide prices for skills that I recommend you use, and are NOT buyable from NPC. Don’t be lazy – just go talk to reader Lal in Village, Castle, or Beach * Prices may range depending on server Flame Shock One of the mage’s main offensive spell. Although slightly falling behind in damage once you get flare3 and firebolt3, once you get Flame shock4, you’ll be a terror to be reckoned with. Flame shock is also an instant cast skill, and therefore able to doublecasting. Highly recommended. Flame Shock 1 - NPC Flame Shock 2 – NPC Flame Shock 3 – NPC or 5k Flame Shock 4 - 7-10m ________________________________________________________________________ Freezing Trap An absolute vital skill to a mage camper of any level –unless your fine with your prey running away every time. Freezing trap will freeze your enemy preventing their movement (They can still attack however) for a certain amount of seconds depending on skill level. HOWEVER, only Freeze Trap level 1 is recommended as the skill has a chance of being deactivated before the timer is down if the target is attacked. Since Battlefield is a large scale PvP and the target you froze is probably under attack by various people, freeze trap will almost always wear off before the 4 seconds from Freezing Trap level 1 ends. Freezing Trap 1 - NPC Freezing Trap 2 – NPC Freezing Trap 3 – 200-400k Freezing Trap 4 – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Poisoning A possible offensive skill. Generally not recommended as I BELIEVE it does not scale damage on intelligence, and also takes away from a mage’s burst damage. (poisoning deals damage over time). ________________________________________________________________________ Light Healing This skill makes a mage one of the most important class in Battlefield. This is the main, and one of the only healing skill in battlefield, and is VITAL that you take it, at least to some level. Although Heal 3 is generally recommended, it is possible to succeed as a camper with only heal 1 or 2, at the cost of more mana, and time spent to heal the same amount. Light Healing 1 - NPC Light Healing 2 – NPC Light Healing 3 – 5k Light Healing 4 – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Shield A very useful defensive skill that will greatly increase your survivability in battlefield. Not only does it protect you from damage, it also protects you from stuns! For example, if someone impact shot you, or use stun on you while your shield is still present, you will not be inflicted with the stun effect. As of such, it is highly recommended you take shield for both BF2 and BF3, and constantly cast it on yourself as soon as it runs out. If your budget allows it, Shield IV blocks 80 damage, and is therefore HIGHLY recommended. Also another instant cast skill for doublecasting Shield 1 – NPC Shield 2 – NPC Shield 3 – 5-30k Shield 4 – 10-30m ________________________________________________________________________ Ice Prison Works similar to Freezing trap, except the freeze can not be broken if attacked. Although this sounds good, it suffers from one fatal flaw – It is cast in a circle surrounding your character. As such, you must be near the enemy in order for the skill to hit. And since mages should not be on the frontline.....well you get the idea. ________________________________________________________________________ Firebolt One of a mage’s main offensive skill, and also your highest damage dealer along with flare. As such, training this skill to level 3 for both BF2 and BF3 is highly recommended. Although firebolt is not a NATURAL instant cast skill and therefore slower then flare and flame shock, it IS possible to cast it almost as fast as an instant cast skill with double cast, of which I will go in depth later on. Firebolt 1 – NPC Firebolt 2 – 20-50k Firebolt 3 – 90-200k Firebolt 4 – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Cure Poison No one uses poison, so what’s the point of having a skill to cure a skill that probably will never be cast on you? ________________________________________________________________________ Teleport A slightly underrated skill. Although this skill does not deal damage, or heal, or even affect the enemy in any way shape or form, it’s the secret to survival as a mage. Not only can teleport be used to teleport and catch up from escaping prey, it is also extremely good for escaping sticky situations – Such as when a fellow mage freezes you when you are in the line of fire (Teleport can be used while frozen), or simply to quickly escape from the frontlines in battlefield. It is however NOT recommended you learn past level 1 for teleport as the slight difference in cooldown is not worth the skillpoints that could be applied to skills that scale more on levels. Teleport 1 – NPC Teleport 2 – ??? Teleport 3 – 10k Teleport 4 – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Mana Feed Useless for campers. Enough said. ________________________________________________________________________ Flare One of a mage’s main offensive skill, and debatably the most important. While offering the highest damage output along with firebolt, it is also an instant cast which allows you to doublecast with Flare. As such, it is VITAL that you learn up to Flare 3 for both BF2 and BF3. Flare 1 – NPC Flare 2 – 800k-1.8m Flare 3 – 20-60k Flare 4 – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Carnivalize A very important skill to add to a mage’s skill set, as it replenishes mana. Since a mage is 100% mana reliant, this is an extremely important skill to help you maintain mana in order to spam your skills to your heart’s content. Carnivalize 1 – NPC Carnivalize 2 – 45-125k Carnivalize 3 – 10-35k Carnivalize 4 – Currently nonexistent ________________________________________________________________________ Ice Lance Icelance has the same damage output as flame shock, with the added factor that it has a possibility of freezing a target (similar to freezing trap). However it suffers from one fatal flaw – Ice Lance 3 and 4 have yet to be proven to exist. (Ice lance 3 is rumored to be drop from guardian yeti however). Until at least Ice Lance 3 is released, the damage output on Ice Lance is not worth investing skills on. ________________________________________________________________________ Prayer of Protection Pray of Protection works pretty much the same way as Shield does, in the addition that it is a slow cast, and also heals as well as providing the shield. Like Shield, Pray of Protection will also protect you from stuns and as such is highly recommended for BF3. Pray 2 is recommended, as Pray 3 does not present a drastic increase in the skill potential and the skill point could be used effectively elsewhere. Prayer of Protection (Volume I) – NPC Prayer of Protection (Volume II) – 10k Prayer of Protection (Volume III) – 3-4m Prayer of Protection (Volume IV) – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Curse of Doom A VITAL skill for a BF3 mage, as it will more than double the damage from your spells. Generally recommended to use before a flare, firebolt, or Flame Shock IV. Good for one hit killing your enemy! Note that Curse of Doom 3 is rumored, not proven to exist. Curse of Doom (Volume I) – NPC Curse of Doom (Volume II) – 100-200k Curse of Doom (Volume III) – 3-4m Curse of Doom (Volume IV) – Currently non existent ________________________________________________________________________ Healing Wave Another healing skill, although not nearly as useful. Mixed with the small healing done, long cooldown, using this skill is not recommended. ________________________________________________________________________ Stun One of the skills that makes a mage deadly in a 1v1 duel, and almost as important in Battlefield. It is recommended to get Stun 2 unless you have Flame Shock IV and Shield IV, in which you should only get Stun 1. Note that Stun has a long cast time, and should only be used in succession with Doublecast to reduce cast time. Stun (Volume I) – NPC Stun (Volume II) – 10k Stun (Volume III) – Currently non existent Stun (Volume IV) – Currently non existent Recommended Skill point Distribution BF2 Camper (Level 18) Skill Setup #1: Balanced Flame Shock 3 Firebolt 3 Flare 3 Shield 3 Light Healing 3 Carnivalize 1 Freezing Trap 1 Pros : Provide decent offense, sustain, and defense Cons: Lacks teleport for teleporting out of sticky situations, does not include Level 4 skills *If you would prefer having teleport, it is recommended you trade in Carnivore and rely on mana potions ________________________________________________________________________ Skill Setup #2: Defensive Firebolt 3 Flare 3 Shield 4 Light Healing 3 Carnivalize 2 Freezing Trap 1 Teleport 1 Pros : Provide good defense, and survivability, as well as an increased sustain with Carn 2. Cons: Only provides 2 attack spells, which reduces your dps * If you do not have Shield IV, Carn 3 is a good choice ________________________________________________________________________ Skill Setup #3: Offensive Flame Shock 4 Firebolt 3 Flare 3 Shield 3 Light Healing 2 Carnivalize 2 Freezing Trap 1 Pros : Provides a very good damage output with FSIV Cons: You lack survivability with only Light Heal 2, and no teleport Note: There are MANY different skill setups that will work as well, or possibly even better that were not listed. The setups provided are strictly OPINION based. Recommended Skill point Distribution BF3 Camper (Level 26) *Due to BF3 Camper having more skillpoints, I find there is less of an issue in skill distribution. As of such, I have only ONE skill point distribution recommendation for now. I may add a different one in the near future. Skill Setup: Flame Shock 4 Firebolt 3 Flare 3 Shield 4 Light Healing 3 Carnivalize 1 Freezing Trap 1 Teleport 1 Prayer of Protection (Volume II) Curse of Doom (Volume II) Stun (Volume I) Pros : Provide good offense, defense, and decent sustain Cons: Lacks Prayer of Protection III for defense, and Carnivorize 3 for sustain *If you cannot afford FSIV and ShieldIV, simply put your remaining skill points into Carnivalize to get Carnivalize II, and Stun for Stun 2. Accesory Guide The table below shows my -RECOMMENDED- accessory (By Accessory, I mean belt, necklace, cloak and ring). This is of course purely opinionated and you may find you prefer using an item that is not even listed. However, I will back up why I believe each equipment is ideal, good, or decent. * -Ideal, good, decent- are "ranking" categories that I have made up. Ideal being the best possible, good being, well, good, and decent meaning its passable. As such, I recommend you using items labeled good only if you cannot obtain the ideal one, and using decent only if you cannot obtain both good and ideal ones. * The items listed below assumes that all the items are clean - meaning they have no enchants whatsoever on them. As a mage camper, I believe achieving a higher int is extremely important. As such, I would recommend a "good" item with 2 int over an "ideal" item with 1 int. * All prices listed are for CLEAN items (no enchants) Equipment Guide BF2 The table below lists the equipment that I believe a BF2 camper should have. Although parts of this is still opinionated, because there is less variety in items for each cateogory, this table will be more statistic based, rather than opinionated. *Most equipment type will only have 1 item listed. However some may have 2 categories (Ideal and Good) *The prices listed are for: Clean, +5, and +6 Equipment Guide BF3 The table below shows the recommended equipment to have for a mage BF3 camper. Although parts of this is still opinionated, because there is less variety in items for each cateogory, this table will be more statistic based, rather than opinionated. *Most equipment type will only have 1 item listed. However some may have 2 categories (Ideal and Good) *The prices listed are for: Clean, +5, and +6 Money Managing Making a camper is not always easy, and one of the main reasons is usually the price factor. To help relieve this problem, I will introduce "Item Priorities". *Note that this is strictly opinion based - If you have any conflicting views, please send me a message or post on my wall Item Priority (Basic Camper) Everyone starts of as a noob, and there is no problem if it takes you a while to become pro. By following the Item Priority Guide below, it will help you on the progressing ladder to making a strong camper. Note that when it refers to "weapon" or "armour" etc., I am referring to the item on the recommendation table for whatever battlefield you are in. By achieving all the goals in this category, you will have a strong camper. However, you will not be anything special. Note that if you plan on becoming more than an "average" camper, it is highly recommended you look for good stat equipment - especially if concerning Int. Estimated Cost Total: 5.5m - 14m+ NOTE: I have not included "legendary" items in my estimated cost and item priority list (Such as Mother necklace, Cloak of death, etc.). Also, the price range for estimated cost is quite large as low stat equipment is cheap, and high stat equipment can be very expensive. Priority #1: Basic Survivabilty and damage output Estimated Cost: 1.2m - 5m+ *Obtain a +6 weapon, and +4 robe, hat, gloves and boots *Obtain a necklance, ring, belt and cloak *Obtain all skills under 100k ________________________________________________________________________ Priority #2: Damage output and healing capability Estimated Cost: 4m - 6m+ *Acquire a +7 weapon *Acquire a necklace, ring, belt, and cloak with 1 int enchant each *Acquire Flare2, Doom2 (If BF3) ________________________________________________________________________ Priority #3: Defensive Capability Estimated Cost 500k - 3m+ *Obtain +5 robe, hat, gloves and boots Item Priority (Pro Camper) Becoming a Pro camper is not for the faint of heart, and you should only pursue if you plan to camp for quite a long time. It is also highyl recommended you have a higher level account for income unless you are a capable Mercher or intend to spend real life money. By now, you should be experienced enough to decide what you need in order to make a Pro Camper. This guide will simply exist for you to compare my opinion, and yours. In order to obtain equipment to becoming a Pro Camper, not only will some items feel ridiculusly overpriced, but you will most likely have GREAT difficulty simply to even find that item. Be warned! *In addition to obtaining the equips listed below, it is HIGHLY recommended you find good or max stat version of those items, especially if it involves Int Priority #1: Offensive capability Estimated Cost: 16 - 25m *Acquire a +8 Staff *Acquire a belt, necklace, cloak and ring with 2 int each *Acquire FSIV ________________________________________________________________________ Priority #2: Defensive Capability Estimated Cost: 8 - 15m *Acquire +6 hat, robe, boots, and glove with good or max stats ________________________________________________________________________ Priority #3: Offensive enhancement Estimated Cost: 30-40m *Obtain a belt, necklace, cloak and ring with 3 int each ________________________________________________________________________ Priority #4: Godlike Camper *Obtain +9 weapon *Obtain +7 armor *Obtain Mother necklace, Cloak of Death, and Hp Regain belt (Guardian ring is not recommended) *Obtain Shield IV Doublecasting/ Double Casting Doublecasting is not a well known technique. Some even say there's no such technique. I believe however that for a mage in general, not just camper...Learning to doublecast is VITAL to a good mage, and is absolutely necessary in order to pull out the full potential of your character. What is Doublecast? Doublecasting is a technique unique only to mages. As a mage you have probably realize that some of your skills have a "Casting" time, whereas some is an instant cast. However if you are able to harness doublecast properly, you will be able to cast ALL spells with NO CAST TIME. As a mage, reducing all cast time of spells to instant will greatly increase both your offensive, and defensive capability. Hell, you'll even be able to out DPS a ranger! How to Doublecast The concept of double casting is simple. Cast a spell with cast time immediately after casting an instant cast spell. The result if you time it correctly will erase the cast time for the normal spell. The following spells are instant Cast: Flame Shock Shield Flare Ice Lance Curse of Doom *I have never leveled past 26, and as such there may be other instant cast skills Any other spells under 25 is normal cast. Note that depending on what instant cast skill you use, there is a different timing you must get right in order to erase the cast time for the 2nd spell. The video posted below is an example of doublecasting. The cast order was: Curse of Doom Firebolt Flare Flameshock Stun Shield Pray of protection Note that Curse of Doom, Flame Shock, and shield are instant casts and was casted before normal cast spells. It may appear that not all skills were casted, but look carefully, you will see the skull from Curse of Doom, the 3 numbers from damage spells, the hammer form stun, and the 2 shields from Shield and Pray. Noteworthy Doublecast Combos: Doom -> Firebolt -If you time it correctly, the cast time should be the same as Doom -> Flare Shield -> Pray of Protection -If timed correctly, the shield from pray will be casted immediately after first shield, and allow you to move around before the 25 heal from Pray pops up. (Instant Cast skill) -> Stun -Stun has an especially long cast time. It is HIGHLY recommended you use stun in a combo after an instant cast. Battlefield Tips Being a battlefield camper isn't all about good equipment and skills. You could be wearing 50m worth of equipment and still be a terrible camper. Becoming a good camper is something you will learn through experience, but in this guide, I will help guide you to playing a Mage Camper. Main Roles Battlefield: Burst Damage Dealer Healer List of priorities for Mage Camper (In order of priority): 1: Don't be a fame whore - contribute as much as you can. No one likes a selfish b*stard 2: Shield yourself (Shield and Pray of Protection (if BF3)) 3: If someone asks for healing, attempt to heal that person as soon as possible. 4: Kill enemy tanks - As a mage, you will be able to do the highest damage output to tanks whereas another warrior or ranger will barely be able to damage. 5: Kill enemy mages - As a high burst damage dealer, mages are able to kill other mages before they are able to heal themselves. Especially if you doublecast properly. 6: Try to stay behind your warriors - Mages will die quickly if under heavy focus. This does not imply that you hide and be completely useless Battlefield Team Strategies and terminology: 1: Stacking "Stacking" is when teammates in battlefield "stay together" in a small group or cluster. This makes it harder for the enemy team to target a specific person, as well as making it easier for them to target your tank (who should be at the front of the "stack"). It also makes it easier for your rangers and mages to instantly kill of any enemies that wander close enough in your range. A battlefield "leader" will often take it upon themselves to say "stack" at the beginning of a battlefield. Be sure to listen! 2: Defensive : Stacking behind egg Unfortunately, not all battlefields will be evenly matched on both sides. This is a strategy used to defend against overwhelming odds. While your egg is what you want to protect, it can also serve as your best defense. If your entire team stacks behind an egg, the enemy team will be unable to click and target you. If they attempt to autolock you, they will lock onto the egg. However, in BF3, warriors will be able to sweep, and rangers will be able to multishot you which slightly diminishes the usefulness. *Note that while they are unable to target you, if they are in a close enough range, your rangers and mages will be able to target the enemy *Mage should divide their time between freezing and killing enemies who get close enough, and healing the egg. Once the egg dies, strategic retreat is recommended. 3: Offensive: Counter to Egg Stacking The defensive strategy of stacking behind the egg has one major flaw. Autolock will lock on the person closest to the player, which will be the egg on most circumstances. However, if you were to go around the egg, and attack from behind, you will autolock onto the people stacking behind the egg. This will however require your full team cooperation, as going behind the egg alone is suicidal. *When going around the egg, keep as far a distance as you can or they will be able to target and kill you before you go around How Would You Rate This Guide? Very Helpful Helpful Good but needs some work Needs a lot of editing I'm not going to look at this guide again for help Category:Guides Category:Guide Category:Magician Category:PvP Category:Skills Category:Magician Weapon Category:Magician Armor Category:Mages Category:Guide:Magician Category:Mage Skill Book Category:Skill Books Category:Magician Skill Book